Improvement in granaries and fruit-houses



S. R. BEGKWITH. GRANARY.

No. 50,790. Paented Nov. 7, 1865.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

s. E. BEcKwiTH, on CLEVELAND, oHIo.vv

`IMPROVEMENT IN GRANARIES AND FRUIT-HOUSES.

Sgeeillcationjonning part of .Letters Patent No. 50,790, dated November?, 1865.

vthe roof removed.l Fig. 2 isa sideelevation with the side walls removed. Fig.3 is an end elevation without the end walls. Fig. iis a sectional view Ithrough an .ice-chamber. Fig. 5 will be referred to in the spceiiication.

Like letters of reference rei'er to like parts in the different views.

My improvement relates to a building for preserving grain, fruit, vegetables, and fermented liquors, as hereinafter described.

to contain some non-coinluctorof heat.

ais a slatted frame-work or licor, which may be made firm and substantial in the upper part of the building, and on which the ice is placed, und belowthis fram e are placed metallictroughs c, (seen in Fin'. 2,) resting on supports j. Underneath the metallic troughs are wooden gutters on which any dampness or moisture that may collect on the outside ot' the metallic troughs will fall, and thus prevented from entering the room below.

d is a trough at one end or' the troughs c and gutters e, into which the water can run from them and be conveyed away through a tube or pipe, There is a space, i, between the gutters, and also between the troughs c, so that air can pass up from the room below into contact with the ice above.

The troughs and gutters can be arranged in another way, as seen at c c', so that the edges hang over wooden troughs e', asrepresented, or they may be constructed and arranged in any other suitable manner to answer t-he same purpose. Each trough c can be made ot' one piece each,forming a corrugated tloor in sections, as shownl in Fig. 5, with air-spaces between each section.

1n the lower part ot' the building, underneath the rooms, there is a chamber, C, (seen in Figs.

2 and 3,) formed between the ripper and under floors, the lower door-being made of concrete on the ground, therebypreventing dampness from entering from below. This chamber coinmunicateswiththe rooms above. at the sides through openings. (Indicated by dott-ed lines C in Fig. 2.)

The fruit-shelves f are all perforated, so that the air can'pass up freely through them. On the lower shelves there are troughs rl', to contain absorbente for drying the atmosphere withinthe room. These troughs may` be placed in any other position that inav be found couvenieut. Underneath the lower shelf', atf,

the side wall is perforated to allow a eommunication of air between the wall and rooms, thereby preventing dampnessin the fillingbetween the outer and inner walls, which should be airtight.

lt is desirable to haverthe rooms ot' varying temperatures, as some of the more delicate fruits require a higher temperature than others to preserve their natural iiavor. For this pnrpose I arrange an ice-chamber, D, in one ot' the rooms, the internal structure of which is shown in Figs. 3 and et. This consists-,of a rack, D', in the center for containing the ice. This rack D is pointed at the lower end, 'and the sides are made of slats r, as represented in Fig. '4, overlappingeachotherinward, so as to prevent the water from the melting ice from iiowing outward. This rack D is nelosed in a slatted frame-work, F, with slats r on the sides, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Outside of this, and inside of the casin g, there is a chamber, t, either annular or rectangular, forming a receptacle for co'ld dry air. 0n one side of this chamber there is a sliding door, d", that is opened more or less when it is desired to govern the temperature ot' the room. u is the cover or lid of the ice-rack.

J is a trough in the lower part of the chainv ber, in which an absorbentis placed for taking up the moisture from the atmosphere contained in the chamber from the melting ot' the ice or other-wise.

Gr is a bin for containing grain. '.Lhis bin communicates with the ice-chamber D through a pipe, h, at the lower end, andv at the top.

there is a bent tube, I, that enters the top of the ice-chamber and bin, where-it terminatesl in a perforated bell-mouth, I. From the pipe h extends upward a perforated pipe or tube,

h', and from this tube project one or more pipes,m, crosswise through the bin, so that the fresh cool air from the ice-chamber will be distributed through allthe grain, thus preventing any part ot it from being -injured by heat or dampness. By means ot' the pipe I and bellmouth I the air is taken up from the grain as v it rises to the top, producing a free circulation through the ent-ire mass around through the ice-chamber.

The grain can be permanently kept inthebin as long as desired, or it can be thoroughly dried and cooled by passing it through the bin, letting it remain therein a sufficient length of time to cool and dry it, and then conveying it away through a chute or elevator at the lower end into another bin or other receptacle.

There can be one or ymore bins in one room connected to the ice-chamber D in the same orin a similar manner, thus making a granary to preserve or dry grain in the most perfect By means of the ice-chamber D, as constructed, the temperature ot the room B can be regulated as desired.

For preserving fruits ot' a more delicate nature the temperature can be graduated by means ot' the doors d', increasing it asma-y be required.

The troughs which underlie the i(:e-.loo1' lnay be curvedv or angular in their structure land one foot or more. in width.

' The whole building as constructed has many l air to rise and be condensed :on the metallic troughs and ice and conveyed away. There is also a circulation of air around through the entire building from the chamber C underneath the tloors up through the openings into the room 5 and by means of the perforations f the air can pass up into the Walls and be Vbrought in contact with the ice-chamber; The side 'and end Walls can be perforated, allowing vthe dry cold air to circulate entirely around the building,thus preventing dampness in the filling. i y l ln'a building thus constructed the rooms may be divided, each one having a separate ice-chamber above, by which means different degrees of temperature may be given to each room by a proper'distribution otthe ice, according to the nature of the fruit, Sac., in the respective compartments.'

rPhe Wooden glitters e, which have been previously described, should have their concave or inner surfaces coated with. some waterproof substance to prevent the absorption of water into the pores of the wood, which would tend to their premature decay.

What I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The drying of gra-in in bins or boxes hy causing a current ot' cold dry air to be circu lated through the same by means ot' the pipes h h and `I, in combination with the ice-chamber D, substantially as set forth.

2. The chamber D, rack D slatted frame F, andA annular or rectangular chamber t, in

4combination ,when constructed substantially as Witnesses:

W. H. BURRIDGE, JOHN H. BURRIDGE. 

